Image from Anne Watson Photography

Stuffed Squash Blossoms

“Artichoke and Cashew Cream Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms over Brussels Sprouts and Mixed Greens with Orange Sage Honey Dressing”

Ingredients:

• 4 Squash Blossoms (or 1 per person), rinsed and dried
• 1 Artichoke
• 2 cups baby mixed greens
• 1 cup cashew cream cheese (recipe below)
• 2 cups beer batter (recipe below)
• ½ cup Orange Sage Honey Dressing (recipe below)
• ¼ cup summer cilantro, leaves only (not the same as regular cilantro)
• ½ cup farmers market cherries, halved and pitted
• 4 brussels sprouts, stems removed and sliced thin
• 2 shallots, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp cooking oil

Directions:

Artichoke: Cut off the outer leaves, and an inch off the bottom and top of the artichoke and steam in water with lemon for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool. Then cut away leaves and remove choke until you are left with the heart and stem. Remove outer layer of the stem and any rough part on the bottom. Roughly chop what is left- the heart and stem. Heat a sauté pan with 1 tsp oil. Add 1 diced shallot and 1 minced garlic clove and satue for a few minutes. Before garlic starts to brown, add the chopped artichoke and cook for 5-10 minutes or until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Brussels: Heat a sauté pan with 1 tsp oil over medium heat. Add the sliced brussels sprouts and the remaining shallots and garlic. Let them cook down, stirring requently. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove when they start to brown. Set aside to cool.

Salad: Rinse and dry the mixed greens and summer cilantro leaves. Toss with the salad dressing, cooled brussels sprouts and cherries. Top with pita chip croutons if desired.

Stuffing the Blossoms and Plating: Squeeze cream cheese filling ¾ of the squash blossom. Twist the top gently. May need to use a toothpick to keep it tight at the top. Gently dip into beer batter (recipe below) and fry for 30 seconds or until light golden brown.

Place a handful of the prepared salad on a plate and gently rest the fried squash blossom on top or next to the greens. You can use any left over salad dressing to drizzle over the squash blossom.

For the Orange Sage Honey Dressing:

• ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• 3 T sage honey
• ½ t salt
• ½ t pepper

Whisk or blend all ingredients. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. May need to adjust honey amount based on how sweet the sweetness of the orange juice.

For the Cashew Cream Cheese:

• 1 cup raw cashews
• ½ lemon, juice + zest
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp Black Hawaiian Lava Salt (or a good quality salt if you have it, if not than kosher)
• ½ tsp Granulated Garlic

Soak cashews in water overnight. Drain and dry. In a food precessor, mix cashews with the rest of the ingredients. Fold in the sautéed artichokes from above. Scoop mixture into a ziplock bag with the corner cut off.

For the Beer Batter:

• 1 beer
• 1 cup flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 tsp agave
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• ½ tsp salt